As CBD oil is non-psychoactive, applying it to the skin does not create mind-altering effects in the same manner that THC ingestion does.3 Therefore, the use of CBD in topical form is a useful alternative for those who wish to avoid the psychoactive effects of THC and those who would like options besides the over-the-counter steroid-based creams typically used for arthritis, joint pain, and similar ailments. This is especially true for aging users, parents, or adults who are concerned about practical matters (like failing drug tests, for example).
I appreciate your efforts in writing this article & don’t mean to disparage you, but there’s so much information that goes into this discussion & people need to be prepared ahead of time. One very important note is to make sure that nothing in the CBD will be contraindicated with many prescription medications, especially for diabetes, hypertension, blood thinners & anti-platelets for example. If a company’s website says their formula is a “proprietary blend”, call before you buy, please!
Full spectrum CBD does, however, bring with it the sticky issue of THC. The government regulates concentration levels of THC at 0.3 percent, an amount which results in minimal psychoactivity. But THC metabolites are stored in the fat cells of your body, building up over time. If you ever need to take a drug test, this could create an issue for you.

In terms of how CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant, there a few different techniques that can be used. The most popular used to be by running harsh chemicals like butane (lighter fluid) or hexane over the raw plant material, but people quickly found out that this resulted in trace amounts of carcinogenic compounds (like formaldehyde) being left over in the end product. Not good.

CBD does not appear to have any psychotropic ("high") effects such as those caused by ∆9-THC in marijuana, but may have anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic effects.[10] As the legal landscape and understanding about the differences in medical cannabinoids unfolds, it will be increasingly important to distinguish "medical marijuana" (with varying degrees of psychotropic effects and deficits in executive function) – from "medical CBD therapies” which would commonly present as having a reduced or non-psychoactive side effect profile.[10][60]
After seasonal harvests of specific cultivars, these high-CBD hemp crops are put through a specialized solvent-free extraction process to yield a hemp oil that is naturally high in cannabidiol. This pure hemp extract is then tested for safety, quality, and cannabinoid content before being exported to our processing facilities in the United States. Importing any cannabis or hemp product into the United States is a complicated and serious task, so we leave nothing to chance before our high-CBD hemp oil makes its journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
In February 2015, the FDA sent warning letters to six companies selling CBD as a dietary supplement. The letters informed business owners that they could not sell CBD by promoting it as “intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease,” since it is not cleared for these purposes by the FDA. In 2016, the FDA sent letters to eight more companies.
Designed to provide the optimum absorption of CBD into the blood stream by employing a patented slow release delivery system. It’s well accepted that CBD is most effective when taken sublingualy, however most oils when taken in this way are swallowed and broken down by your body. The Gel-Tab™. is placed under the tongue and the CBD is slowly absorbed resulting in higher rates of CBD being absorbed than what would be achieved with a normal oil
As a consumer, you can look at the manufacturer's website to see whether they batch-test their products, or ask them directly. You could also send a sample of your CBD oil to a testing facility yourself, something Bonn-Miller says he would do if he were trying to treat someone with a severe issue such as epilepsy. Testing can also determine whether the product contains pesticides, heavy metals, or other toxins.

A THC-rich rub infused with cooling menthol and peppermint is a perfect way to wind down from a brutal workout or hike. For intense localized pain, you may try a warming balm that combines the deep painkilling properties of cannabinoids with a tingling, soothing sensation. Inflammation symptoms may require a different chemical profile, as Cannabis Basics’ CEO Ah Warner explains:

Marijuana & hemp are both cannabis sativa (and some marijuana is cannabis indica). But “industrial hemp” (the only source of CBD lawful in all 50 states, thanks to the Federal Farm Bill’s exemption of it from the Controlled Substances Act) CBD extract products are lawful in all 50 states, can be sold on the open market at any store (not just a licensed dispensary) or online to anyone over 18–regardless of the customer’s or mfr’s state’s medical or recreational weed laws.
To get almonds from an almond tree, you can just shake the tree. To get juice from an orange, you can simply squeeze the fruit. But getting CBD oil from hemp is a much more complicated process. The cheapest and easiest ways to extract CBD oil from hemp commonly involve harsh solvents that can leave chemical residue in the CBD oil. The best, and most reliable extraction method, uses carbon dioxide (CO2) under high pressure and extremely low temperatures to pull out as much CBD as possible without introducing contaminants. Once the CO2 is no longer under intense pressure, it simply evaporates, leaving virtually no trace of extraction on the CBD oil.

At cbdMD, we combine premium quality and innovation to offer the purest CBD available on the market. We test our broad-spectrum CBD extractions through independent, third-party laboratories to guarantee the highest of standards. cbdMD is committed to providing the best in CBD; we stand behind the quality of our products by offering an easy-to-use service, free shipping, satisfaction guarantees, and US-based customer service.

I have been suffering from scalp pain, itching and scalp sores for more than 3 years. I have seen 6 dermatologists and 5 diagnosed me with folliculitis. The 6th dermatologist felt I did not have folliculitis, but dysesthesia. I am interested in trying a cannabis scalp cream, but know nothing about this product, and where I might get it, and if it might work for me. I have had 7/7 pain for 3.5 years and need some relief other than narcotics.

It’s a truism to state that pain is an inevitable part of life. And it’s true that we all, from time to time, experience pain that is short-lived and treatable. But those who deal with chronic pain know the debilitating, life-sucking reality of this condition. And traditional medications often come with long lists of side effects which can be as debilitating as the pain itself.

Medterra's dissolvable sleep tablets combine 25mg of CBD with 10mg of melatonin to provide a restful nights sleep. Simply place the tablet under your tongue before bedtime and allow it to dissolve before swallowing. Each tablet is scored to allow for the user to consume half (1/2) of a tablet if they are sensitive to melatonin. Tablets contain natural spearmint flavoring.

Having run infusion workshops in Denver for the last 3 years, I have played with several recipes. Just Add Herbals has kits that include hypoallergenic mediums that you can infuse with kief, which they give you a way to extract from cannabis. Even lower quality cannabis can be used, the key is to pay attention to the genetic you are using. Kief makes dosing easier and these kits are a simple way to infuse not just salve, but tincture, massage oil, and cooking oil as well. The salve may be ideal for folliculitis – I’d be curious to hear how it does for you.

Another field in which CBD is creating a buzz is in the area of mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Both conditions have been treated with a variety of medications, courtesy of Big Pharma, that have had varying levels of success. Again, the long list of side effects can be off-putting to someone who just wants to get through the day without the sweaty tension of anxiety or the gray haze of depression.
This mint-green bath bomb, made by Los Angeles-based De La Beuh, combines the invigorating aromatherapy of peppermint oil with the pain relief benefits of CBD. I sat in the bath with this bath bomb soak for an hour—until the water ran cold—when I had both cramps and lower back aches, and while it doesn’t beat ingesting a painkiller, it did help soothe my pains so that I fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow. De La Beuh sells bath bombs in many varieties—including a glittery Kaleidoscope version that will turn your bath into “unicorn” colors—so your preference just depends on your preferred aroma.

In the United States, the CBD drug Epidiolex has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of two epilepsy disorders.[13] The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has assigned Epidiolex a Schedule V classification while non-Epidiolex CBD remains a Schedule I drug prohibited for any use.[14] CBD is not scheduled under any United Nations drug control treaties, and in 2018 the World Health Organization recommended that it remain unscheduled.[15]

To make matters more confusing, nine states (including California, Washington, and Colorado) let residents buy cannabis-based products with or without THC. Nearly two dozen other “medical marijuana states” allow the sale of cannabis, including capsules, tinctures, and other items containing CBD or THC, at licensed dispensaries to people whose doctors have certified that they have an approved condition (the list varies by state but includes chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, autism, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis). Sixteen more states legalized CBD for certain diseases. But because all these products are illegal according to the federal government, cannabis advocates are cautious. “By and large, the federal government is looking the other way,” says Paul Armentano, deputy director of the Washington, DC–based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), but until federal laws are changed, “this administration or a future one could crack down on people who produce, manufacture, or use CBD, and the law would be on its side.”
Most third-party laboratories willing to test hemp/cannabis cannot consistently or reliably detect cannabidiol (CBD) at the levels in this product. Generally speaking, we’ve found that they are more efficient with testing full-spectrum extracts with lower percentages of CBD and other cannabinoids. All Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for our CBD Isolate have so far ranged from 90%-99.9% cannabidiol, but we are extremely confident that every batch of extract has actually been above 99% pure. The extraction process is consistent and repeatable – the third party testing isn’t quite there yet. This is an industry-wide issue that affects every company offering similar products.
Watch Out For: Hemp grown in China. Even in countries with agricultural regulations, the list of approved pesticides is far from safe. Thus you are really relying on the specific company’s ethical standards when it comes to hemp cultivation. The reason this is such a big deal with hemp when compared to other plants, is that hemp is a dynamic accumulator plant. Dynamic accumulator is a term used to describe plants that gather minerals – both good and bad – from the surrounding soil and store them in its tissues. So if you’re growing a hemp plant with petroleum-based pesticides in soil that contains heavy metals…you’re inevitably going to have a hemp plant containing both toxic pesticides and heavy metals. This is why many people have poor experiences when first trying CBD – you buy your vegetables organically, why not your hemp? The presence of these toxins is not regulated by any agency and they will end up in your CBD oil if you don’t purchase from the correct company. We like Ambary Gardens because they ensure that all of their CBD products are produced from organically and sustainably grown hemp without the use of pesticides.
Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice*, Purified Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shae) Butter*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Vegetable Glycerin**, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate**, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*, Lactobacillus Ferment (from Cabbage)**, Lactobacillus, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract**, CW Hemp Oil CO2 Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Cimicifuga Racemosa (Black Cohash) Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Glyceryl Stearate (Palm Oil Derived), Xanthan Gum, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum*, Sodium Benzoate, and Potassium Sorbate.